Portsmouth Engineer Wins State Award for Drinking Water Protection Efforts

Concord, NH - The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES) announced today that Thomas Cravens of Portsmouth Water Works is the 2009 recipient of DES’s Source Water Protection Award. The award recognizes a water system, municipality, organization, or person for exemplary efforts to protect drinking water sources such as groundwater, reservoirs, and streams. DES is honoring Cravens for his many years of work to protect Portsmouth’s water supply wells and Bellamy Reservoir. Cravens will retire from his position as engineering technician at the end of June.

Drinking water protection efforts spearheaded by Cravens have included inspection and education programs, groundwater monitoring, emergency planning, and negotiating with Madbury officials regarding recreational restrictions on Bellamy Reservoir, according to DES.

“New Hampshire water systems have an excellent record of protecting their sources,” noted DES Commissioner Thomas Burack, “and they owe a debt to dedicated professionals such as Tom Cravens, who have been leading the way for many years.”

DES Commissioner Burack presented the award at the Department’s annual Drinking Water Source Protection Workshop at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord.